Post-Game Bama Thoughts

[chuckg_07]

Here we go again. Week 2. Bama. Rinse and fvcking repeat. Let's just get into this shit.

"Good" highlight video at the end of post. If you can stomach it.

Offense:

Offensive Line

• Wow, OL did a valiant job considering this may be the best DL we play all season.
• We did give up pressure from time to time, but mainly on the outside and Mond was able to step up into a clean-ish pocket and make some throws
• Layden Robinson looked a hell of a lot better on that last drive, than Hocker has looked on ANY drive of his career.
• Running power was good to see and it seemed our OL enjoyed it. Finally was able to get aggressive and lay some blows in Bama's DL. Sent a message early.
• Will Anderson and Christopher Allen gave us fits on the edge frequently, but both those guys are phenomenal talents and will disrupt any OL. However, Dan Moore did a pretty fine job against the 5 star frosh in Anderson. Carson Green was pretty damn good all game.
• Kenyon Green got bullied at times and whooped a couple times by their quick DTs but also had a solid game

Wide Receivers

• Ugh
• Chase Lane is fairly solid. I like him. Nothing spectacular but he has proven to get open and have reliable hands. He has no business running fade routes though.
• Preston is looking to be just about the same as Ausbon but with a bit more wiggle after the catch. However, against top tier DBs, he was less than spectacular. He showed zero body control on the back shoulder pass by Mond which was 100% catchable. Each of Bama's WRs and Demas catch that ball. Guaranteed.
• I'm putting Ainias in here too. He's a freakin' Kamara/McKinnon player and I love it. Absolute beast. Gut wrenching drop though. Was a huge swing in the game.
• Play Demas more. I understand he got jammed multiple times at the LOS but cmonnnnnn Fisher. Run trips and give Demas a free release. Play him more so he can get used to the college game. This kid is 100x better than Chapman, Preston, and Brown. Maybe not at this very moment, but he could easily be halfway through this season if we play him.
• To beat a dead horse, why the hell is Rennick getting more snaps than Demas. Especially in the redzone. I get that Rennick had a good play for the second TD but those two redzone playcalls to Rennick in the second half were supppperrr questionable.

Running Backs

• Ainias did good enough. His speed allowed him to get past the LOS quick and into the second level...
• ... Something that Spiller could not. Spiller needs to be behind the QB and not to the side of Mond. He's better hitting the LOS at nearly full speed that way. Just like in the past versus solid run Ds with Ford and Carson. It's difficult to get them going. We did the same to Najee Harris for 3 quarters.
• Ainias had some terrific blitz pickups by the way. It's incredible that he'll meet a blitzing LB, running full speed, without fear right at the line. Kid is unreal.
• Spiller will definitely have success against the other defenses in this conference. No doubt. Not worried.

Quarterback

• Mond was not the largest problem in this game, in fact, he played OK. However, he didn't do enough when it mattered.
• There is still some hesitancy in his decision making and it led to that pick six. That ball was firstly late, and then too far inside and Darnell made him pay.
• At the end of the day, regardless of WR drops or miscues, OL pressure, or whatever... Mond needs to find a way to do better. However, I don't see that happening.
• Although, at the moment, he's still our best option to beat Florida. Trust me, I'm allll for benching Mond for King but we only have one loss and we're still in play for the CFP. Yeah yeah, pipe dream. I get it.
• If we lost to Florida, 100% bench Mond. Let King or Calzada take over.
• King looked good on his one drive. Seemed to be decisive whether he was gonna throw or take off. Good read on an outside high-low and throw to Lane. Second throw deep shot was a decent decision but Lane isn't going to be winning many of those. Third throw it seemed he wasn't able to fully follow-through with Moore being shoved into his face and forced the ball to be underthrown and eventually picked off. Lane though didn't do a very good job at getting position anyway. Which I'm not even sure why we're throwing fades to him. He's much better on slants, crosses, and quick outs.

Defense:

Defensive Line

• First half, decent. Second half, bad.
• Still almost zero pass rush. Bama made some adjustments at half to nullify the bit of pressure Leal and Clemons were able to get.
• We absolutely sell out for the run, which we did very well at, but not getting any pass rush proved lethal to our secondary.
• DTs were just about useless this game other than plugging running holes. Bobby Brown was OK. Peevy was god awful. Got manhandled just about every play I watched of him. McKinnley Jackson wasn't able to shove these Bama fattys around like he could with Vandy. Still very much shows promise.
• Rambo wasn't visibly impactful.
• Johnson was able to create some sort of pass rush at times but Mac was too quick with the passes to allow him to do anything when he was able to beat the OT
• Martin was not good. At all. Like Mark said in Monday Thoughts, Donnel Harris absolutely needs to get his snaps. Martin can't do anything.

Linebackers

• Buddy and Hansford had good games.
• Elko's gameplan rendered them mostly useless as Elko refused to blitz them and they were left most of the time in no man's land trying to defend the crossing routes that Bama completed at ease.
• Buddy showed some pretty good coverage skills on Najee Harris' wheel route catch. Fairly surprising for that stiff, brute of a man.

Secondary

• Elko has got to get his shit together here. Even in 2018 this unit was getting exposed by decent SEC QBs. Still status quo.
• Elko coaches safeties?! WTF. Both Demani and Leon had horrid games as they bit incredibly hard on every low route and exposed the CBs on the deep ball
• Demani played so poorly we subbed in Carper, nothing on Keldrick, but he has no business playing in this game.
• The Jones' were exposed this game. Bama's WRs are obviously on another level but they were often 3-4 yards behind their guy. I understand on the deep routes they were expecting safety help.
• This all falls on Elko. It's year ****ing 3 and we can't figure this shit out against the good passing teams.
• Let's hope to god we can get some pressure on Trask
• Hopefully we get Young back soon. He was playing pretty well until his injury. Devin Morris was ok but was no match for Waddle or Smith.

Special Teams:

• Kicking/Punting was just fine. Small did miss a chip shot. Sort of on par for him so far but was money on everything else.
• Return game had no balls. Guarantee Fisher told them no-go on any kickoff.
• We just might need a fvcking ST coach. Pathetic effort.

Coaching:

• I thought Fisher did a solid job with the play-calling in the first half. Even on the 3rd and 4 in the 2nd quarter when we ran another power to the right side of the OL, the play was there but Kenyon Green couldn't make the block on the rushing DE. If he does, Spiller goes for 10+ there. And we don't have the painful Ainias drop.
• However, WTF is with Fisher in big games not being able to get our offense the correct player substitutions and in the correct formation. It could very well be Mond. I'm not entirely sure. What I am sure of though is frequently in big games we call multiple timeouts to not get a delay of game, illegal formation, or 12 man on the field penalties. Absolutely stupid penalties. Fisher should have this shit cleaned up by now.
• Elko has to revert back to the second half of 2018 and start blitzing. Leal and Clemons ain't gonna get it done. Potentially we'll have to give on our solid run D but dear god if we let up another 75 yard bomb on 3rd and long I'll puke.

What are y'alls thoughts? Can anyone offer some insight on what Elko needs to get done?

Oh, the away whites looked cleannnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn. Best away jersey we've had since the icy whites.